I am so tired of balancing my dinner plate on my lap while sitting on a footstool just high enough to be level with the tongues and noses of my dogs.

Now I am not trying to be the new Oprah in your lives.

Really not, since I hate it when someone suggests a book to me, or worse yet gives me a book, to read.

At my age, I don't want anyone dictating what I should do with the time I have left.

I have wasted enough of it and will waste the remainder as I see fit.

When someone recommends a book to me, it is an intrusion on my time.

But they know I am too curious and too much of an information junkie to ignore their recommendation.

Giving me a book is a theft of my time since every book deserves to be read.

All that being said, Debi, my nephew Mike's mother, stole my time by thrusting into my hands “The Warmth of Other Suns” by Isabel Wilkerson. And since Oprah isn't doing it anymore, I humbly and strongly thrust this book upon you.

Never would I ruin your joy by telling what the book is about. But I will tell about it.

It is non-fiction.

You can begin reading at any place in the book — front, middle or back.

It is a book that you can put down and pick up at any page and enjoy reading.

You can relate to many of the people in it or their mommas, daddies, sisters, brothers and cousins.

The beauty, warmth and compassion of the writing is a joy to the spirit. After reading a few pages of it, if you don't agree, I'll pay for your non-credit reading appreciation class at Nicholls.

The subject of books naturally leads to where most books are found — the library.

Have you been to Lafourche Parish Library's new main branch in Thibodaux on the corner of Fifth and Jackson streets, the former Daily Comet building?

If you have, then you know it is a place to be proud of, a place to be proud showing off to visitors.

Awards are probably given for design and planning of library branches, so I sure hope that Lafourche's main branch gets nominated.

The goal of having a reader-friendly layout is achieved along with big, comfy easy chairs so readers can get lost in a good book.

Amazing is the only word to describe the newspaper and periodical room upstairs.

Along with a friendly, eager-to-help staff, kids and teens have reading and computer sections that knock out all excuses for illiteracy and poor grades, a huge computer lab for adults to use and a large genealogy resource room that has Louisiana history books on characters from Ernie K-Doe to Edwin Edwards.

The branch sells used books cheaply — 5 cents each — to make up for the overpriced printing (25 cents per page), but other than that little ouch, the main branch is a parish gem.

So whose leadership was responsible for this parish gem? Susanna LeBouef, the library director.

And how was she honored for her work? She was fired. Well, the “clean” way to put it is her contract was not renewed.

Why? This is where it gets interesting.

The agenda of the Library Board's September meeting lists discussion of LeBouef's evaluation, but none was had. The minutes for the October and November meetings when the discussion of her evaluation took place are conveniently missing from the online list.

Your guess is as good as mine.

Charles Mosley, a former head of the Lafourche NAACP, lives in Thibodaux. Email him at charlesmosley3@hotmail.com.

<p>After re-reading my last several columns, I figure I'd better back off awhile.</p><p>Readers get tired of heavy lifting.</p><p>Actually, this works since it allows me to get back to reading books.</p><p>Writing this column demands that I seek information and confirm facts.</p><p>Newspapers, magazines, studies on various subjects and political reports litter my bed, bathroom floor and dining room table.</p><p>I am so tired of balancing my dinner plate on my lap while sitting on a footstool just high enough to be level with the tongues and noses of my dogs.</p><p>Now I am not trying to be the new Oprah in your lives.</p><p>Really not, since I hate it when someone suggests a book to me, or worse yet gives me a book, to read.</p><p>At my age, I don't want anyone dictating what I should do with the time I have left.</p><p>I have wasted enough of it and will waste the remainder as I see fit.</p><p>When someone recommends a book to me, it is an intrusion on my time.</p><p>But they know I am too curious and too much of an information junkie to ignore their recommendation.</p><p>Giving me a book is a theft of my time since every book deserves to be read.</p><p>All that being said, Debi, my nephew Mike's mother, stole my time by thrusting into my hands “The Warmth of Other Suns” by Isabel Wilkerson. And since Oprah isn't doing it anymore, I humbly and strongly thrust this book upon you.</p><p>Never would I ruin your joy by telling what the book is about. But I will tell about it.</p><p>It is non-fiction.</p><p>You can begin reading at any place in the book — front, middle or back.</p><p>It is a book that you can put down and pick up at any page and enjoy reading.</p><p>You can relate to many of the people in it or their mommas, daddies, sisters, brothers and cousins.</p><p>The beauty, warmth and compassion of the writing is a joy to the spirit. After reading a few pages of it, if you don't agree, I'll pay for your non-credit reading appreciation class at Nicholls.</p><p>The subject of books naturally leads to where most books are found — the library.</p><p>Have you been to Lafourche Parish Library's new main branch in Thibodaux on the corner of Fifth and Jackson streets, the former Daily Comet building?</p><p>If you have, then you know it is a place to be proud of, a place to be proud showing off to visitors.</p><p>Awards are probably given for design and planning of library branches, so I sure hope that Lafourche's main branch gets nominated.</p><p>The goal of having a reader-friendly layout is achieved along with big, comfy easy chairs so readers can get lost in a good book.</p><p>Amazing is the only word to describe the newspaper and periodical room upstairs.</p><p>Along with a friendly, eager-to-help staff, kids and teens have reading and computer sections that knock out all excuses for illiteracy and poor grades, a huge computer lab for adults to use and a large genealogy resource room that has Louisiana history books on characters from Ernie K-Doe to Edwin Edwards.</p><p>The branch sells used books cheaply — 5 cents each — to make up for the overpriced printing (25 cents per page), but other than that little ouch, the main branch is a parish gem.</p><p>So whose leadership was responsible for this parish gem? Susanna LeBouef, the library director.</p><p>And how was she honored for her work? She was fired. Well, the “clean” way to put it is her contract was not renewed.</p><p>Why? This is where it gets interesting.</p><p>The agenda of the Library Board's September meeting lists discussion of LeBouef's evaluation, but none was had. The minutes for the October and November meetings when the discussion of her evaluation took place are conveniently missing from the online list.</p><p>Your guess is as good as mine.</p><p>Charles Mosley, a former head of the Lafourche NAACP, lives in Thibodaux. Email him at charlesmosley3@hotmail.com.</p>